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Yankees’ Aaron Boone drops proud take on Max Fried’s 1st start since May appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
NEW YORK– Just over two months since going down with a bone bruise in his left elbow, New York Yankees starting pitcher Max Fried reintroduced himself with a crisp appearance that reinforced how special the club’s rotation could be at full strength.
Fried struck out seven batters and only surrendered one hit across five scoreless innings as the Yankees earned a series win with a 2-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates in the nightcap of a doubleheader. Afterward, Yankees manager Aaron Boone was sure to gush about the southpaw’s reemergence.
“He looked great, obviously,” Boone said. “I thought, frankly, it’s as good as he’s looked all year in any of his other starts.”
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The occasion came directly after a 5-3 matinee loss in which Gerrit Cole delivered seven solid innings. It marked the first time that the two aces have been simultaneously healthy on the roster.
The Yankees earned a gritty series win with the help of their bullpen
New York’s lineup was held at bay for 6.1 innings by Pirates starter Bubba Chandler. They only tallied two hits and struck out five times while only earning one walk.
After Chandler’s departure, the Yankees were able to break through against reliever Brandon Eisert. Cody Bellinger walked and scored on a Jasson Dominguez double that rattled down the left field line. Moments later, Anthony Volpe padded the slim lead with an RBI single that had an exit velocity of 102.2 MPH.
“We need everyone to step up,” said Boone. “So two big at-bats in a tight game with runners on base that proved to be the difference.”
Angel Chivilli, Paul Blackburn, Will Warren, and Tim Hill combined for four innings of scoreless relief after Fried’s exit, making the Bombers’ two-run seventh be all that was needed to scrape past Pittsburgh. The bullpen has only allowed two earned runs across the past four contests.
“It’s been a lot of fun, really,” Blackburn said after the win. “I think the group that we have in the bullpen definitely helps. You know, we’re just one big unit down there, one big family. It’s easy to just kind of come in and be yourself, and kind of give each other confidence when each other’s names are called.”
The Yankees will turn their attention towards a 10-game road trip against the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago White Sox, and Chicago Cubs. Despite being winners of three of their last four games, questions have persisted regarding the lineup’s strength without Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. Seven of New York’s nine contests have been decided by two runs or fewer. The group will attempt to get hot on the road.
“We’ve got to improve there,” Boone said. “I feel like I’ve said that a lot here over the last month. We know we’ve got to produce better offensively, consistently night in and night out. We’re working to get that done. So for us to reach our peak, we’ve got to get some guys going and be a more consistent attack night and night out.”
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